AR-News: (US-CA) Bill to Ban Foie Gras Clear First Hurdle, Help Needed for Next Vote

[Pam at AVAR]

Bill to Ban Foie Gras in California Passes First Senate Committee,
Legislators Require Seven-Year Phase Out

California Senate Bill 1520, which would ban the force feeding of ducks and 
geese in the production of foie gras as well as the sale of the product in 
the state, was approved by the Senate Committee on Business and Professions 
yesterday by a 4-3 vote.

The bill was amended in the latter stages of the hearing to include a 7 
1/2-year phase out in order to win the votes of two senators, Senator 
Gilbert Cedillo and Senator Kevin Murray. Also voting in favor of the bill 
were Senator Liz Figueroa and Senator Edward Vincent. Voting in opposition 
were Senator Michael Machado, Senator Samuel Aanestad and Senator James 
Brulte. SB 1520 will next move to the California Senator floor for a vote 
sometime in May. (The deadline for floor passage is May 28.)

Testifying in support of the bill were Senator John Burton, the author of 
the bill; Bea Arthur, star of Maude and Golden Girls; and E-Entertainment 
host Melissa Rivers. The expert witness panel included AVAR Vice President 
Holly Cheever, a veterinarian from New York; two avian veterinarians from 
California, Dr. Laurie Siperstein-Cook and Dr. Chris Sanders; and lauren 
Ornelas of Viva!USA. In addition, approximately 60 individuals turned out 
to support the bill. The opposition included representatives of the Sonoma 
Foie Gras farm, the only farm using force feeding to produce foie gras in 
California.

Although the testimony focused on the cruelty involved in the force feeding 
practice and the resulting diseased condition of the birds, the primary 
concern of the legislators appeared to be that they might put Sonoma Foie 
Gras out of business. Additionally, the opposition argued that the birds 
aren't stressed by the force feeding and one senator even indicated that 
the practice was acceptable because the birds were raised for food and are 
going to die anyway.

Although passage in the Senate Business and Professions Committee was 
critical, the bill now faces a stiff fight on the Senate floor. We need as 
many support letters and phone calls made to Senators as possible. Even if 
you have already sent a support letter to the committee members, it's 
important to contact your own Senator as soon as possible and urge their 
support for SB 1520. Contact information for Senators can be found at 
www.senate.ca.gov

Below are links to some of the media coverage of the April 26 hearing on 
the foie gras ban. Please visit www.avar.org for more on the foie gras issue.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF HEARING ON FOIE GRAS BAN:

Proposed Foie Gras Bill Ban Delay, Heated Testimony At Senate Panel, San 
Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/27/BAGIL6BLCM1.DTL

Activists Win One in Battle Over Pate Foie Gras, LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ducks27apr27,1,7704480.story?coll=la-home-local

Bill to Ban Foie Gras Waddles Forward, San Jose Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/8528665.htm?1c

California Lawmakers Fight Over Foie Gras, UPI
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040427-115508-5130r.htm

California Moves to Ban Foie Gras, Reuters
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=499911&section=news

Senate Committee OKs Foie Gras Ban, Associated Press
http://www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234~26642~2111189,00.html

Lawmakers OK Ban on Force Feeding Birds to Make Foie Gras, FOX 40
http://fox40.trb.com/news/ktxl-042604foiegras,0,7406408.story?coll=ktxl-news-3

State Lawmakers Consider Foie Gras Ban, NBC11.com
http://www.nbc11.com/news/3236913/detail.html

Foie Gras Production Should Be Banned, The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, VA)
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/news/opinion/8490820.htm

Bill Targets Foie Gras, Claiming Cruelty to Animals, KXTV Channel 10 (NBC)
http://www.news10.net/storyfull.asp?id=6387

Pam Runquist
Director of Companion Animal Issues
Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
PO Box 208
Davis, CA 95617-0208
Tel: (530) 759-8106
pam at avar.org

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